Abstract: A placement apparatus for placing a workpiece is provided. The placement apparatus includes a stage on which a workpiece can be placed in a processing vessel; an edge ring including a locking part which is disposed on the stage so as to surround a periphery of the workpiece; a conductive connecting member connected with the edge ring at the locking part; and a first contacting member configured to cause the edge ring to contact the stage, while the edge ring is connected with the connecting member.

Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a processing tub 34 which is configured to store therein a processing liquid and in which a processing of a substrate is performed by immersing the substrate in the stored processing liquid; a circulation line 50 connected to the processing tub; a pump 51 provided at the circulation line and configured to generate a flow of the processing liquid flowing out from the processing tub and returning back to the processing tub after passing through the circulation line; and a heater 52 provided at the circulation line and configured to heat the processing liquid. At least two temperature sensors 81 to 83 are provided at different positions within a circulation system including the processing tub and the circulation line. Controllers 90 and 100 control a heat generation amount of the heater based on detection temperatures of the at least two temperature sensors.

Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus includes: a substrate processing unit; a supply line that supplies the fluid to the substrate processing unit; a flow meter that measures a flow rate of the fluid flowing through the supply line; a flow rate adjustment mechanism that adjusts the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the supply line; and a controller that control the flow rate adjustment mechanism based on a measurement result of the flow meter. The controller receives the measurement result at a first cycle. When the measurement result of the flow meter indicates that the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the supply line is included in a preset range, the controller causes the flow rate adjustment mechanism to adjust the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the supply line at a cycle having a time interval longer than a time interval of the first cycle.

Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a holding unit, a driving unit, a shaft, and a nozzle. The driving unit rotates the substrate and the holding unit that horizontally holds the substrate. The shaft is extended along an axial direction of a rotation axis. The nozzle includes a base that is attached to an upper end of the shaft, and a liquid supply unit that is extended from the base to a radial-direction outer side of the substrate and includes discharge ports formed to discharge the liquid toward a lower surface of the substrate. The shaft and the base are configured to include a discharge passage that is formed along the axial direction to discharge the liquid discharged toward the lower surface of the substrate. The base includes a concave portion that is concave downward to cause the liquid to flow toward the discharge passage.

Abstract: A substrate liquid treatment apparatus includes an inner tank configured to store a treatment liquid and having an upper opening, an outer tank disposed outside the inner tank, and a lid movable between a close position for closing the upper opening of the inner tank and an open position for opening the upper opening of the inner tank. The lid includes a main portion that covers the upper opening of the inner tank when the lid is positioned at the close position, and a splash shielding portion connected to the main portion. When the lid is positioned at the close position, the splash shielding portion extends from a position higher than an upper end of a side wall of the inner tank adjacent to the splash shielding portion to a position which is lower than the upper end of the side wall and which is on the outer tank side of the side wall.

Abstract: Methods of patterning low-k dielectric films are described. In an example, a method of patterning a low-k dielectric film involves forming and patterning a mask layer above a low-k dielectric layer, the low-k dielectric layer disposed above a substrate. The method also involves modifying exposed portions of the low-k dielectric layer with a nitrogen-free plasma process. The method also involves removing, with a remote plasma process, the modified portions of the low-k dielectric layer selective to the mask layer and unmodified portions of the low-k dielectric layer.

Abstract: Provided is a susceptor, capable of preventing occurrence of scratches on the back surface of a wafer attributable to lift pins, and reducing unevenness of the in-surface temperature distribution of the wafer. A susceptor according to one embodiment of this disclosure has a susceptor main body and a plate-shaped member, and when a wafer is conveyed, the front surface of the plate-shaped member ascended by lift pins supports the central part of the back surface of the wafer by surface contact. A separation space between the plate-shaped member and the susceptor main body, in a state in which the plate-shaped member is placed on the recessed part, enters further into the central side of the plate-shaped member, in a direction from the front surface to the back surface of the susceptor.

Abstract: A low-cost, durable silicon carbide member for a plasma processing apparatus. The silicon carbide member for a plasma processing apparatus can be obtained by processing a sintered body which is produced with a method in which metal impurity is reduced to more than 20 ppm and 70 ppm or less, and an ?-structure silicon carbide power having an average particle diameter of 0.3 to 3 ?m and including 50 ppm or less of an Al impurity is mixed with 0.5 to 5 weight parts of a B4C sintering aid, or with a sintering aid comprising Al2O3 and Y2O3 with total amount of 3 to 15 weight parts, and then a mixture of the ?-structure silicon carbide power with the sintering aid is sintered in an argon atmosphere furnace or a high-frequency induction heating furnace.

Abstract: There is provision of a substrate processing apparatus including an inner edge ring provided in a vicinity of a substrate to be placed on a stage in a processing chamber; a middle edge ring arranged outside the inner edge ring, the middle edge ring being configured to be moved vertically by an actuation mechanism; an outer edge ring arranged outside the middle edge ring; a first spring provided between the inner edge ring and the middle edge ring; and a second spring provided between the middle edge ring and the outer edge ring.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid chemical vapor recovery device, a wet stripping device, a photoresist stripping process and a method for manufacturing a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display using the same. The liquid chemical vapor recovery device comprises: an exhaust pipe for discharging a gas in a processing chamber for wet processing with a liquid chemical, the gas comprising a vapor of the liquid chemical; and a reflux pipe for refluxing the liquid chemical condensed in the exhaust pipe to a liquid chemical storage tank, the reflux pipe having an inlet connected to the exhaust pipe and an outlet connected to the liquid chemical storage tank, wherein, at least a part of the exhaust pipe positioned upstream of the inlet of the reflux pipe is formed as a pipe segment with a rugged inner surface.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to detach a substrate from a table without damaging the substrate by lift pins. One embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus having a vacuum suction table adapted to have a substrate placed thereon, and a plurality of lift pins disposed along the outer periphery of the vacuum suction table. The lift pins each have a distal end portion including a substrate guide surface capable of guiding the outer peripheral end surface of the substrate, and a proximal end portion including a substrate holding surface extending from the substrate guide surface outwardly in a radial direction of the lift pin.

Abstract: A recovery route returns, to a retaining tank, mixed solution supplied to a substrate processing unit. A discarding route discards the supplied mixed solution to a place other than the retaining tank. A switching controller causes the supplied mixed solution to flow into the discarding route during a time interval until a first time interval has elapsed from a time point when the substrate processing unit starts to supply the mixed solution; causes the supplied mixed solution to flow into the recovery route during a time interval until a second time interval, which is decided based on a predetermined recovery rate, has elapsed after the first time interval elapses; and causes the supplied mixed solution to flow into the discarding route during a time interval until supply of the mixed solution has been ended from a time point when the second time interval elapses.

Abstract: A processing liquid used in a substrate liquid processing apparatus can be supplied in a constant amount with high accuracy. A substrate liquid processing apparatus A1 includes a storage line 61 configured to store a processing liquid therein; an introduction line 62 configured to introduce the processing liquid into the storage line 61; a discharge line 63 configured to discharge the processing liquid from the storage line 61; and a gas supply unit 65 configured to perform a strickling of the processing liquid by jetting a gas to a surface of the processing liquid stored in the storage line 61.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes an insertion member having a first surface facing a vacuum space, a second surface facing a non-vacuum space, and an insertion hole penetrating through the first and second surfaces. A pin is inserted into the insertion hole and moved vertically. A movable member is provided in a recess formed on a wall surface of the insertion hole facing the pin. The movable member has an opening into which the pin is inserted and is movable along a surface of the recess. A first sealing member is provided between the movable member and the pin. A second sealing member is provided between the movable body and the surface of the recess and allows, when a pressing force of the pin that locally compresses the first sealing member acts on the first sealing member, the movable member to move in a direction to release the pressing force.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus that treats a substrate with processing liquids. The apparatus includes a substrate holder, an exterior cup, and an interior cup. The interior cup includes an interior cup body, and an interior cup outlet. The exterior cup includes an exterior cup body, an exterior bottom cup, a first drain outlet, a first exhaust port, a second drain outlet, a second exhaust port, and a separation partition. The apparatus further includes an annular member movable upwardly/downwardly, and a drive unit that causes the annular member to move to shift the interior cup body between a collecting position and a retracting position.

Abstract: There is provided a processing apparatus including a stage disposed inside a chamber, and a cover member provided in an outer edge portion of the stage and configured to partition an interior of the chamber into a processing space above the stage and a bottom space below the stage. The cover member includes a first protrusion portion configured to make surface-to-surface contact with a surface of the stage, a second protrusion portion spaced apart from the first protrusion portion and configured to make surface-to-surface contact with the surface of the stage, and an exhaust path provided between the first protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion and configured to exhaust a gas from a buffer space formed by the cover member and the stage.

Abstract: The present invention improves versatility of a film thickness measuring device. The trigger sensor 220 includes a proximity sensor 222 and a dog 224, and outputs a trigger signal indicating that a polishing table 110 makes one revolution. The eddy current sensor 210 measures a film thickness of a subject to be polished 102 at a timing based on the trigger signal output from the trigger sensor 220. The dog 224 is disposed in an opposite region 250 located at the opposite side of a rotation axis CW of the top ring 116 with respect to a rotation axis CT of the polishing table 110. Further, the eddy current sensor 210 and the proximity sensor 222 are disposed at the polishing table 110 so as to be located in the opposite region 250 when the trigger signal is output from the trigger sensor 220.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) system including a capacitive deionization module (CDM) for removing ions from a solution and a method for using the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a planarization unit for planarizing a wafer; a cleaning unit for cleaning the wafer; a wafer transportation unit for transporting the wafer between the planarization unit and the cleaning unit; and a capacitive deionization module for removing ions from a solution used in at least one of the planarization unit or the cleaning unit.

Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a processing tub 34A which is configured to store therein a processing liquid in a boiling state and in which a processing of a substrate 8 is performed by immersing the substrate in the stored processing liquid; a concentration sensor 55B configured to detect a concentration of a chemical liquid component contained in the processing liquid; a concentration control unit 7 (40, 41) configured to control the concentration of the chemical liquid component to a set concentration by adding the chemical liquid component or a diluting solution to the processing liquid based on a detection concentration of the concentration sensor; a head pressure sensor 86B configured to detect a head pressure of the processing liquid within the processing tub; and a concentration set value correction unit 7 configured to correct, based on a detection value of the head pressure sensor, the set concentration.

Abstract: A heat transfer medium supply system includes valve units each alternately supplying a first and a second heat transfer medium to a corresponding zone of a stage. The valve unit includes a housing and a shaft. The housing has first and second inlets, and first and second outlets. The first and second inlets are respectively connected to a first and a second medium temperature controller. The first and second outlets are connected to the corresponding zone. The shaft is inserted in the housing and has first and second supply grooves. The first supply groove connects the first inlet to the first outlet when a rotation angle about a central axis of the shaft is within a first angle range, and the second supply groove connects the second inlet to the second outlet when the rotation angle about the central axis of the shaft is within a second angle range.